Lawman Says He Got Strayed With Debris

Published 8:00 pm, Thursday, June 5, 2003

A law enforcement officer accused of taking space shuttle Columbia debris testified that he intended to return the pieces, but got sidetracked.

Harrison County Constable Robert Hagan II, who was among volunteers who gathered debris after the shuttle broke apart over Texas on Feb. 1, is standing trial on a charge of stealing government property.

He said Thursday that he received permission from his supervisor to bring in debris that a woman had left in a grocery bag on a street, and that a National Guard member placed the bag in the trunk of his patrol car.

At the end of the day, Hagan said he went looking for a box to put smaller pieces in, but didn't find one and the material was left there.

Hagan also told the court that he never was told not to touch or transport the debris, and believed the material was insignificant in the search for clues into the shuttle's breakup.

"There was so much out there," Hagan said. "We were having to make the best decisions we could."

Hagan said he showed the material to a co-worker at his security job, but didn't immediately report it because he planned to return it. "I never made the comment that I could keep the stuff," he said.

He also acknowledged that he lied to sheriff's officials when he denied having any material, but did so because he didn't believe it was any of their business.

"This was a situation I was working on with the (state) task force," Hagan said. "It had nothing to do with the sheriff's office or my job as a constable. … I was very uncomfortable. I didn't understand what the situation was."

Hagan was expected to continue testimony Friday morning. He faces a federal prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to a $250,000 fine if convicted.